The ECB aren't everyone's cup of tea particularly at the moment and I also think they should be doing more but to say they aren't doing anything is clueless to say the least.
x The All stars initiative they have setup has increased participation by more than double and has also helped to increase attendances at county grounds.
x Coaching and young player pathways have been massively improved and we are probably at the forefront of that in world cricket.
x ECB has looked at getting the wider public involved in the game and come up with a new competition in which every game will be able to viewed live on TV and in some games live on terrestrial TV in an era where it doesn't make financial sense to be on terrestrial tv.
x initiatives around the world cup and hosting it
"helped increased attendances at county grounds" - I didn't see any young cricket clubs at the 50 over game on Sunday at CLS. The increase in attendances at Durham, I put down to the relentless marketing by Durham to get bums on seats
"young player pathways" - Well Durham have been great at that until we got shafted. Remains to be see how it goes in the future with that. Alienating certain areas from this new 100 ball game won't help and does red ball cricket have a future?
"each has looked at getting the wider public involved in the game and come up with a new competition" - which excludes loads of areas mentioned above. It doesn't include Durham, which immediately alienates Durham, Northumberland and dare I say Cumbria? Even some of the areas selected don't give a toss about it.
"initiatives around the world cup" - I went to see the world cup when it was in Durham the other week, nobody about. Ticket prices are sky high but I don't blame the ECB for that.
The All Stars thing sounds canny and it's promoted well in Durham, but I'll reverse that and say it's a shambles to promote The All Stars thing then not have the new format in Durham......... kids won't want to go to Leeds if they live in Hetton will they? It's Durham Cricket Club itself who are trying hard to get folk in to watch the T20
On top of all of this, not everyone is able to afford sky tv
Stokes? Your clear refusal to accept he was out of order which most of the country could see, but you could not see because he played for Durham and once spoke to your wife!
!
He was found
not guilty in court and had already been punished by the ECB by missing The Ashes.
Ashes? When did we last lose a home series I must have missed these so called hammeries.
!
We've just lost a test series to the West Indies ffs.
